United States Books

I understand better the definition of an elitist after reading these essays. The writing is delightful, and fortunately, easily understood by anyone with at least an eighth grade education.

I was very satisfied with the service I received and the excellent condition of the book.

This book is so vast and so full of wisdom, prescience (read Vidal's 1970s attack on religion and compare its conciseness and brilliance with the just released polemics of Hitchins and Dawkins, and his 1950s biting comments on the culture of celebrity are so far ahead of their time that they're breathtaking), wit and humour that you can pick it up at any time and find what seems to be a new gem within. After 5 years of owning this book, I'm still finding pieces I either haven't read or now read with a different outlook, owing to Vidal's amazing ability to be so pertinent to all ages.
Highly recommended.

These particular selections of essays by the prolific and most caustic critics of the American Republic, has sat on my bookshelf since the early months of 1999. Included in this overwhelming collection are 114 essays, in some cases, randomly categorized into three chapters - State of Art, State of the Union and State of Being. Vidal is an intensely knowledgeable fellow, and therefore has an opinion on just about everything having to do with art, history, politics, the state of literature and his beloved Republic To attempt to read this entire tome (1271 pages) from start to finish over a few weeks (my original intention) proved to be impossible. Although informative and extremely entertaining, there was just too much to digest, too important to scan through, thus I would mark the essays read with a tick on the contents page, place the book back on the shelf, only to return when the time felt right to take them up again.

Vidal is not only a great historian, he is also one of America's great literary radicals. He was experimenting with the literary form, attempting to apply critical theory to the Novel very early in the piece with such works as Duluth, Mira Breckinridge and the post modern religious satire, Live from Golgotha. These were indeed "radical" departures from the standard fare of American novels coming out at the time. In mainstream circles, however, these novels were not well received, but were critically acclaimed, calling them subversive, iconoclastic, original and extremely funny.

As an essayist, Vidal really has no match in American letters. These essays reveal a master at the top of their form. What is interesting as well as admirable, Vidal was criticising literary theory which had infiltrated academia in the late 60's and early 70's, al la, post structuralism and deconstructionism, but unlike the so-called "experts" in the university's across the western world, (he calls them "Hacks of Academia") Vidal attempted to put these theories to the test in the form of a popular novel, (Duluth) and succeeded. In his essay, "French Letters -Theories of the Modern Novel", Vidal attacks these modern theorists, who state that language and literature as an art form is dead, in elegant prose and biting gusto, revealing their empty (headed) arguments,

"In any case, rather like priests who have forgotten the meaning of the prayer they chant, we shall go on for quite as long time talking of books and writing books, pretending all the while not to notice that the church is empty and the parishioners have gone elsewhere to attend other gods, perhaps with silence or with new words." (1967, p.110)

In "The State of the Union" essays, Vidal expounds upon American politics and his views on the National Security Council, the CIA and America's on-going imperialistic intentions, which interestingly, have not dated in the least. Most of these essays are as relevant as ever despite the passing of over thirty years.

There is no doubt in my mind that reading Vidal is an education, showing us a way through the miasma of received wisdom, relentlessly thrown in our direction. In many respects Vidal is a beacon of light during dark times, a writer that has never pulled any punches when it came to the things he believed in, namely writing, politics and his beloved Republic. This book should be standard issue for anyone interested in literature, politics, art, and American history.

First, for those readers solely interested in the quality of this essay collection, my advice is simple. If you enjoy the essay form, buy this collection! There is no better essayist alive. In the USA, Vidal stands beside Emerson, White and Trilling in exemplifying the power of the essay; and like them, his greatest quality is the intense, lasting relevancy of his argument, even when he deals with people or events long past. His vilification of Truman, for example, concentrates on the latter's founding the American security state, certainly a germane issue.

As for all this talk of Vidal's political affiliation, anyone who claims he is a conservative or a liberal in any normal sense of these words is simply wrong, and is unfortunately missing the purpose of Vidal's writing. Vidal firmly believes in the people and the ideals by which our nation was founded; but he is alone, as far as I know, in keeping himself free of worship. Jefferson, Adams, etc. were not perfect; and neither is democracy or republicanism. In our intensely polarized time, in which unthinking loyalty is a virtue, Vidal is exactly that type which he has often cheered throughout history, the brave heretic. Gore Vidal is our Orwell; his opinions may only occasionally be right, but anyone who ignores him is jeopardizing our relationship with the truth.

In addition to this collection, I also highly recommend *the last empire*, Vidal's collection of essays from 1992 to 2000. It is much shorted, and is actually a better introduction to the author.

Everything worked just like it should, used books shipped when they were supposed to in good condition.

A must by for new business owners! Practical teaching with easy to apply techniques. Existing businesses who've let their customer service fall by the wayside could also greatly benefit and be inspired to change.

We do training for companies in a service industry and use this book as part of our program. It has revolutionized the way we look at customer loyalty. The concepts in this book will help you identify and keep the right kind of customers

This book belongs on every company's bookshelf. Why? Because the business world is seduced by the promise of customer conquests when, in fact, customer loyalty is the real ticket to success. This book is chocked full of proven, easy-to-execute sales, marketing and customer care strategies. Its content should be (and is!) used as continual training for companies looking to attract and keep high-value customers.
Pat McMahan
Indianapolis, Indiana

This text is required for my Master of Science in Quality Assurance course. This text gives a very good overview of the essentials of developing and maintaining customer loyalty. It differentiates customer satisfaction and customer loyalty well. I think that everyone will find this a worthwhile purchase.

As a parent of a child with autism, I have faced many struggles.
Working with the public school system to provide my son an appropriate education has been the hardest struggle by far. I have read Wrightslaw: Special Ed Law and From Emotions to Advocacy by Peter Wright and have found them to be an invaluable resource for parents of special needs children. As with any disability, parents must educate themselves in order to help their child. These books are loaded with information that is essential for parents who wants to be strong advocates. I recommend these books to every parent who has a child in the public school system.

I found this book to be an excellent resource for getting the special education my 10 year old son needed. Not only does it point out the "common" methods school systems circumvent the Law (and your childs education), it tells the reader how to deal with it. Also of note was the text of several court cases on special education law and how it relates to the parents. Yes, we have a lot more rights and control of our childrens education than the school systems are willing to acknowledge! Especially educational was how it pointed out that school systems often do not have all the members present for a meeting, but the law requires ALL members to be present. This is a must have for parents of Special Educational need students.

This book is a must have if you have a child with special needs. It is the most comprehensive book around for helping your child get an education! I call it my special education bible. If you can only afford one book to help you through the special education maze, this is the ONE to buy!

Sissy

This book is extremely well written, concise and incredibly practical. As a parent of a special needs child, my copy is dogeared with tons of stickies coming out the sides and highlighted paragraphs throughout. The unraveling of caselaw portions and the clear writing style help you understand the nuances of special ed law, expectations you can have, how to be smarter in and out of an IEP meeting, and how not to be bushwacked. It has the good stuff, but doesn't skip on the real language either. Well balanced with nothing fluffy. I'd rather lose my dayrunner than my copy of Wrightslaw.

This book, is THE guide to protecting your child and making sure he receives the special education services that he needs. The author's give some VERY good, sound advice throughout the book. Just having the laws handy makes it worth the price, the legal commentaries are just the icing on the cake. It it the best book I have bought and highly recommended to anyone who has a special needs child. Whether you are familiar with the laws or not, you should own this book. There is also a companion strategy guide available from the same publisher that is very good. And there is also a Advocate's Guide coming out soon from the same author's and I will buy that as soon as it is released. Knowledge is power. The best way to help your kids is to learn as much as you can. This book is your best resource to do that.

Ianthe is the daughter of Richard Brautigan, although this book is more her personal story of overcoming her father's suicide than a biography of him. I would have preferred the latter. Still, you get a good, if incomplete portrait of Richard Brautigan through the eyes of the person closest to him. You get to know his multi-faceted personality, including his tragic drinking habit, but never understand his life or what drove him to suicide (nobody, including his daughter, knows). Some great stories about the last of the beats. I think my favorite was when he sat with a friend in his Montana cabin and shot out the hours on the clock, each hour on the hour, with his handgun.

Your favorite artistic hero from college days no longer rings a bell for many if not most. Richard Brautigan was one of the most innovative, creative, and "counter-culture" (as we used to say) poets of his day. His poetry was utterly refreshing and blew (literally) all the stuffy poetry elevated to a plane beyond God out of the room. As to this truly grand memoir by his daughter, Ianthe Brautigan, as much as a fan as I was - I did not know that her father's poetry revolutionized the genre and sold millions world-wide. Most profound of all, is Ms. Brautigan's literary gifts so evident in this book. For the price of a cup of good coffee, it is surely worth your time.

This memoir was written with sensitivity and emotion but never seemed maudlin. I was sorry when the book ended. I wanted more.

A lot of this memoir, written by Richard Brautigan's daughter, though charming in tone, is pretty much skimmable. What's interesting, however, are the descriptions of her father's writing room, particularly in San Francisco in the 1960s-70s on Geary Street and the surrounding vicinity. There are wonderful descriptions of the writing room with its typewriter and art hanging on the walls, such as the pencil drawing of a bus with real Lincoln penny heads as passengers and a picture of an ancient Colt pistol. And who can forget the small Buddhist shrine, the oak table with the stained rings of coffee cups, and the the back porch with those stacked piles of the San Francisco Chronicle. Like any good writer, Brautigan couldn't throw away a day's newspaper without going through it completely. This memoir also has some nice depictions of cabin life in Montana, and there as some interesting old black-white photos of Brautigan. Check out page 71 with it's picture of the ranch house kitchen and the bullet holes on the wall in the shape of a clock.--Alex Sydorenko, Chicago, 2001.

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Ianthe Brautigan stays on target throughout her memoir -- as the daughter of Richard Brautigan, and the daughter of a father who killed himself. Brautigan turns out to be an articulate author, and she expresses her feelings very openly. I feel callous saying that this is an enlightening read for R. Brautigan fans, because much of I. Brautigan's drive derives from her troubled feelings about him. But the book is also a biography of her father, the ways he lived (as well as the way he died, which is vividly described). While reading, I felt it was a reliable biography, from the POV of someone very close to him, who understood him, and had her own experiences with respect to growing up his daughter; it was a reliable/subjective biography, which turned out to have merits of its own that an outsider can't match -- for better or worse. What it loses in objectivity, it more than overcomes.

No doubt I. Brautigan has had many other life experiences too, but very impressively she keeps to her misssion to tell the story of her father, his life, his death, her relationship to and evolving feelings about it. I did not expect it to be as well-done as it is. Kudos, as well as my sympathy to the author who indeed had an unfortunate and difficult time due to his suicide. Regarding R. Brautigan, fans will appreciate her anectodes and stories, despite their coming from the place they do -- of having to learn that she can not "catch death."

Great job! This book is a wonderful insight of how to best support teachers and students about inclusion in a manner that allows all students to LIVE life whether on the Autism Spectrum or not. Paula shares a lot of personal lessons she has learned through her years of researching what is best for one may not be best for all. Learning how to best address the unique talents and challenges of students with Austism is a continued journey and I look forward to future books from this author. The humor throughout the book just adds to the enjoyment. Strongly recommended! A must read for the entire school staff.

As an elementary teacher and a mother of a child with an autism spectrum disorder, I found this book to be one of the most practical yet thought-provoking texts I've read yet. Ms. Kluth gets right to the heart and mindset of what true inclusion is. Her ability to inspire us all to value the child with special needs as well as to respect and value the input of caregivers is crucial to successful inclusive schooling. In addition, this book has really helped me to keep an open mind about how every child, regardless of the severity of his disability, can and must play a key role in the success of any classroom community. Most importantly, Ms. Kluth addresses the importance of positive attitudes, perseverence and personal reflection in one's own growth experiences as an educator. It was great to read this book. Thanks for the wonderful anecdotes that so vividly helped me visualize how I can create a more effective inclusive environment in my classroom. Can't wait!

I LOVE the chapters on teaching strategies and behavior. Lots of great tips for helping challenging kids. The teaching strategies chapter has ideas for getting ready for transitions, preparing the classroom, and teaching lessons effectively. The planning-in-reverse strategy is really effective!

I have recommended this book to many -- the philosophy is sound but the practical suggestions are the highlight for me.

Brilliant, eloquent, and helpful, this book is not only eye opening, but gives a clear grasp and understanding to the broad spectrum Autism occupies. Dr. Kluth's book clearly explains the way parents and teachers can impact children not only at home, but in an inclusive classroom.

"You re" Going to Love this Kid" is written in a clear, no non-sense style capturing the unique challenges that can occur between school systems, teachers, parents and the special child with autism. Dr. Kluth brilliantly gives examples and steps to help overcome the obstacles so many parents face with educational professionals who may be ignorant or unaware of the promising and doable outlook of inclusive teaching.

Dr. Kluth's book is not only creative, but easy to follow and useful. It is information on routines and other helpful ideas and all done in an easy to follow creative way. This book is inspiring and touching with the many stories she includes from actual students.

I borrow Dr. Kluth's book out regularly and strongly encourage teachers, administrators and parents to attend Dr. Kluth's seminars regarding inclusive teaching and understanding autism.

I got a copy from the local library, read it, then ordered a copy for my collection. It's well-written and difficult to put down once you get started. Buy it!

This is a quick and easy read about the Vietnam War. Focus is on stories related to the the soldier's care in Vietnam and the
critical cases sent to Japan. For those interested in the glamour of war, read this book for the cost of such glamour, crippled men. Since this book was written in 1971, it does not
contain much of the later aspects of the war. Generally it is unsypathetic to the American pursuit of the war.

Dr. Glasser has written a great story on the Vietnam War and the Hospital and personnel envolved. Having read it almost right through it brought back lots of memories stored in the deep of my mind. I had lived a time in a Naval Hospital and was put back together in a wonderful way by many good Doctors and Nurses in the Boston area. I will always remember them and hope that many that have never associated the hospitals with the war will now understand how many men went through those portals in those years. Many to never be the same, God bless them all, and God bless our wonderful country.

This book is a series of short stories detailing personal accounts of US infantry combat operations during the Vietnam War. Fast-paced, vivid and well-written. Stories cover the individual spectrum from the most gung-ho Airborne-Ranger to the most reluctant drugged-out draftee. Helicopter, river, armored, long range recon and regular infantry operations are all part of 365 Days. The book shows clearly the human tragedy of war at a personal level. Recommended reading for the hawk and the pacifist.

Dr. Glassner provides a unique perspective on the American experience in Vietnam -- that of a medical officer responsible for treating the shattered, burned, and exhausted men caught up in that conflict. There is plenty of heroism in his short tales, but usually it is the heroism of brute survival, of adapting to impossible conditions, of enduring the unendurable.

I have heard this book referred to as an "anti-war" work, and one that derides America's involvement in Southeast Asia. I disagree. Glassner simply tells it like it was -- he pulls no punches, so oftentimes reading this book is very unpleasant: how many "John Wayne shoot 'em up" memoirs of Vietnam recount the suffering endured on a burn ward?

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the Vietnam War, the continued psychological and physical suffering of combat vets from all eras, or to anyone concerned with the consequences for our sons and daughters when politicans send our troops to war. Should be required reading for college students,...

You'd realy be surprised to find out what San Diego has to offer in the way of hiking and trails. This book is your guide for those trails. From a 90 foot Waterfall (Cedar Creek Falls) to many other wonderful hikes. I highly recommend this book if you want to learn more about hiking in San Diego.

This book is the best hiking book I have come across, and I have many. Not only is it well planned out, with attached maps, and hikes separated by areas, but it also grades the level of difficulty very accurately. As for the comment on this book being old and vague on location... well, it's not designed to be an all encompassing guide, and you will have to dust off your map or Map Quest the locations.

We just recently moved to San Diego, and it's been a great source in discovering all the area has to offer, I feel that without it we would have missed out on so much.

My co-worker was telling me about all the wonderful waterfalls and boulders that he saw when he was hiking, and he told me that he learned about the trails from this book. I immediately ordered it, and so far, it has been handy to have.

Each trail is labeled with its difficulty, length, and even the best times to go. The descriptions are very useful and are pretty accurate.

There is an art to describing hikes in a succinct yet useful manner. Like with movie reviews, you don't want to give everything away, but you want to give the reader enough information to decide if the subject matter interests him enough into going to experience it for himself. Jerry Schad is THE master. It is simply amazing how much information he can pack into so few words. Once you do a few of his hikes, and reread his descriptions, you can quickly learn what exactly he means by certain turns of phrase and the like. This is because while English (or any language) is a poor tool for communicating this type of information, it's all we've got when reading a book. But what Schad does is describe practically every worthy hike in San Diego County in a consistent fashion, so you can apply what you learn he means by a certain description for one hike that he uses for another hike.

San Diego County is an amazingly diverse area of natural wonder. To discover it without Jerry's help would be very difficult. I strongly recommend his book for anyone interested in such a discovery.

However, I do recommend that you take several 1-star hikes before going on to a 2-star, and several 2-stars, before a 3-star, etc., primarily to learn how to read and use the book most effectively. Picking up the book and planning a 5-star hike before going through the rest of the process is NOT recommended.

Have fun!

Exhaustively researched, comprehensive, with good descriptions of why you'd want to pick a certain hike, so you'll know what you've got to look forward to.

This may be the only book you'll ever need on the subject, but it's not the only thing to take on a hike: you'll need that most uncommon of things, common sense" -- and that means you'll also need to bring a MAP and water, and the rest of the "Ten Essentials."

Remember, it doesn't replace a USGS or topographic map, let alone good hiking sense. It's "just" a trail guide, albeit the best one the county has had for about 20 years. And frequently and responsibly revised, too. No guidebook, or map, is of much use unless you know how to use it: a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, right?

Don't expect too much. With San Diego's exploding population, your enjoyment of trails can alter seasonally with use, let alone by weather. Schad makes every effort to anticipate your tastes when he describes a trail, when it's best to go, what you'll get most out of a hike. You'll learn how to make your hikes match your tastes the more you use this excellent book. And you'll learn to appreciate, up close and personal, the scenery of the climate you moved here for.

San Diego county has great places to explore, and a wide range of habitats: from coastal to montane, to high & low desert. Most of it makes great scenery, but up close it can be intimidating. Schad's book won't let that stop you.

Most trails, even those in state or county parks, are not well marked except at trail heads (about what you should expect when park budgets are so meager these days).

This book and a topographic map are just the things to reawaken a sense of purpose, and to give our desires a sense of direction. And these, in turn, unlock our sense of beauty and wonder.

San Diego deserves nothing less from its inhabitants, and they and it deserve nothing less than such a resourceful book as this.

I've just granted my eyes and heart a second opportunity to experience Alaska through the verse and images of John Pezzenti Jr. The verse conveys both the spiritual and emotional connection the author obviously has with Alaska. The images transport this viewer to a place and time that feature nature displaying a magnificence worthy of savoring. Alaska, the book, inspires me to contemplate another adventure here in the northern Eden we call Alaska. A place where I am invited to quest for the spirit of the natural world that John Pezzenti knows so well. Alaska, the book and Alaska, the place transend the ordinary with grandure and excitement. I recommend both to anyone who lusts for beyond the ordinary. John Toppenberg

After 40 some years of living Alaska, I am well aware of the difficulty and seeming impossibility of capturing the great land on film and with words. The true essense and spitituality of this vast offering often eludes our cameras and pens. John has nailed it. His enduring patience and impecable eye for the finest of nature glows from image to image, mushroom ice stands, an otter enjoying a meal, volcanic clouds balloning over stands of towering spruce, an eaglets first moment broken from the shell, in your face bears, all these images and much more inspire me to look harder, go further, and wait longer for more of Alaska than I have ever experienced. The photos are sparkled by John's unique style of writing. After recieving the book as a gift I spent long nights, reading and re-reading his tales of adventure with delight. My work takes me far from home and John's book gives me opportunity to share the true flavors of Alaska with those I meet on the trail. Thank you John for sharing your God given talents, I so look forward to the next book.

There are a great many picture books on Alaska, some which contain exceptional photgraphic elements. There are a great many journalistic books on Alaska, some which are so well written the reader is taken with and to The Great Land. John Pezzenti's book epitomizes the best of both.

Like Alaska, this book is greater than it's physical boundaries. It evokes the senses and the emotions. This is one photo book that is a must read!

Great Book! I would recommend to anybody interested in the beauty of our 49th state. This book captures the wild beauty and grandeur of the last frontier. Buy this book, if you can!

Once you have met John Pezzenti, you will understand that this artist and his incredible photographs are one entity. John's "ALASKA..." will take you on an incredible journey through the heart of the Alaskan wilderness, into the soul of an unforgettable man.

Five years ago, I walked into a conference room at the World Trade Center in Manhattan. A man stood beside a display of exquisitely breathtaking photographs, protecting them like an anxious parent; listening to every word, every comment, as if there might be some question about the magnificence of his work. That enigma was John Pezzenti, Jr. Those privileged to know him, have experienced the complexities of the man: Passionate, sensitive, wild as Alaska, free as the wind and sometimes, as immovable as the mountains. His life and his photographs have made an indelible impression.

Language seems a truly inadequate means of conveying the experience of John's "ALASKA" book. The photographs seem to have a life of their own. Speaking directly to the heart and soul, they give a glimpse into the spirit of the man who created them. This is a soul that seems to dance somewhere between heaven and earth. A soul that has borne burdens that few of us could shoulder, but one that has known transcendent heights that few will ever reach.

With each page, John's photographs and stories allow us to share his incredible gift, and to see places on this earth that seem closer to heaven. John's spirit is as wild and free as the Alaskan wilderness. Nature seems to recognize a kindred spirit. You will feel certain that he has been granted special permission to view the sacred, and that at times, nature must say "wait, keep that until John gets here." But such honors are not bestowed without tremendous tests of courage and endurance, endless patience, and unquestioning faith. No work of this magnitude is brought to fruition without great sacrifices, and John has made more than his share.

John has the unique talent of capturing the essence of the moment - then combining it with a fragment of his own soul - the result is this spectacular gift he has given to the world. No one can experience "ALASKA: A Photographic Journey..." and not be deeply moved. The superb imagery and heart warming words speak to everyone in a unique way. It will draw you in, touching your heart and soul each time you open its pages to relive the journey. Again and again it will surprise you, revealing something new with each reading.

Thank you, John for sharing your vision. Your book is dearly treasured, and keeps Alaska close to my heart until I return. God Bless, John. We await your next creation.

The All American All The Way is the best book I ever read!!!
There is no foul language that I remember. It takes you through training to Berlin.
The 82nd Airborn Division stood and hooked up to jump the first mass combat jump in history, on July 10th 1943. Badly scattered on the drop,they looked at their maps to see if they knew where they were. Finally they arrived where they needed to be and in do time were fighting a small band of forces so they thought, but turned out to be tanks accompanied by infantry.
If you want to know more about the 82nd Airbore buy this book!

My father served in the 82nd with 504th parachute regiment from its inception to the war's end. He talked very little about his experiences. Mr. Nordyke's marvelous book, with its accounts by the men who fought the battles, helped me to know my dad better. It will help anyone to understand what combat is really like and the great heroism of these ordinary Americans - almost all of them mere boys. Highly recommended.

I've just finished reading "All American All The Way" and I must say that this book is by far the very best book written on any WWII unit that I have read. With many veteran accounts, Mr. Nordyke takes the reader along from airborne training, the formation of the division, and the actions that the division participated in from Sicily through Germany.

One can almost hear the roar of battle as the author, and the veterans describe fighting in the hedgerows in Normandy, or street fighting in Holland. I very highly recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in WWII history.

What can I say... This is one of the best works of military non-fiction, I have ever had the joy of reading. At first sight of the book, I was a little daunted by it's size. However, due to the fluidic quality of Phil's excellent writing, I found it to be an effortless read. The research involved behind this book is immense, and it thoroughly gripped me, all the way. I've not read such a book of this calibre, in a very long time. The action and information contained within, left me feeling that I had personally been fighting along side with these brave men, all the way!

This book provides a superb, first hand, graphic insight into the life and hardships of the 82nd Airborne campaigns, throughout the European theatre of operations. Sicily, Italy, Normandy, Holland, Belgium and the German `Siegfried' line, breakthrough.

It's difficult to find criticism, other than the accounts of life while they were camped in England, during 1944, are a little vague. And my interest in the Division stems from the fact that the 80th Anti-Tank and the 325th Glider Infantry Regiment were billeted only a mile or two, up the road from me, in Leicester. However, this doesn't detract from the fact it's an excellent read.

The quality of this hardback it of the highest, along with the inclusion of excellent maps illustrating the campaigns, and many archive photographs from the time.

I'm now at a loss as what to read after this book. This book's a tough act to follow. It's clear, exciting and most thought provoking. A must read for anyone interested in the 82nd Airborne Division, and the European theatre of operations during the Second World War.

This is a very extensive, impressive and total history of the 82nd airborne division, what was called by Generals in WWII as the greatest division of the time (of course the 101st airborne would probably argue that). The scope of this book is amazing. In its 776 pages (yes, it is long but very interesting), it lays out all the campaigns fought in WWII including Sicily, Salerno, Italy, Normandy, Netherlands, the Bulge, and Germany. And, the book tells the story at the individual unit (down to company and platoon) and individual level. It is told in the words of the heroes who fought in the 82nd during the war. As mentioned in one review, this should become the standard for not only this division but for any division for laying out the story of the heroism and the tragedy of this war.

Thirteen-year-old Mary Chilton has lived in Leyden, Holland almost her entire life; she was not yet three years old when her family fled England in search of religious freedom. But neither England nor Holland feels like her real home to Mary. She has always longed for a place to truly belong. When her parents decide to join other English Separatists living in Holland who are planning to settle in the New World, she feels a mixture of sorrow at leaving behind friends, neighbors, and her three adults sisters, and joy at the thought that she might finally find a place to call home. But the sea voyage on the Mayflower is long and dangerous, filled with storms and sickness, and the difficulties do not end when they finally reach the New World.

Wendy Lawton has brought to life the story of Mary Chilton, a real girl who was a passenger on the Mayflower in 1620. I really enjoyed this book, and I highly recommend it to readers who enjoy historical fiction, particularly those who have a special interest in the Pilgrims or Colonial America.

Wendy Lawton transports us back to the voyage of the Mayflower through the eyes of young Mary Chilton. Her experiences and those of her family give us a first hand look at the trials and obstacles that had to be overcome for them to reach this country. Not usually a reader of historical fiction, I was captivated by the well-written and accurate story of the Chilton family. Wendy Lawton had done her homework! Her extensive research not only informs the reader but educates the reader about his heritage in a fast-paced and easily followed style. Definitely a good read for old and young!

I was hooked from the first page. These books are a joy to read. They keep you interested and inspired. I think every young person should read at least one in this series, when they read one they will want to read more. I plan to pass my copies to all my friends.

"The last time Mary saw her English home she stood tiptoe on a wooden crate so she could peer over the salty-tasting rail. ...The stone walls and arched bridges guarding the town of Sandwich eventually faded into the shimmer of water as the flap, flap, flap of sails being unfurled signaled that she was headed into the unknown."

Wendy Lawton is fast becoming a favorite author due to her exquisite storytelling skills. Through the eyes of thirteen-year-old Mary Chilton, we experience the struggles and triumphs of the Separatists (early Pilgrims) in ALMOST HOME, the third tale in the "Daughters of the Faith" series published by Moody. Lawton expertly handles historical details with insight and sensitivity, such as how the Church of England, "though still called a church...was not a place where people often met Christ or deepened their faith." And later, when the Mayflower lands at Plymouth and the newcomers fear the natives, Mary and her friends conclude, "Some of the stories of savagery may be true, just as they are for our people. Other parts of the stories may arise from lack of understanding...who is to say that God, if we are indeed following His leading in coming here, is not, even now, working in the hearts of some of these who look like savages to us?" This sets the stage for Samoset and Squanto, Native Americans who later assist the settlers. This type of careful thoughtfulness flows just under the surface of this well-written account.

Lesser known facts appear as well, such as the travelers starting their voyage with two ships, but serious leakage problems on the Speedwell force all 102 passengers onto the Mayflower. We also catch a glimpse of the conflict between travelers on board, widely divided by their beliefs--the religious Separatists and the non-believing Strangers.

This book is excellent for discussion about religious freedom, learning about the sacrifices and lives of the early settlers, studying geography (the route of the settlers), and discovering turns of phrases unique to that time period (daydreaming = "woolgathering"). Lawton includes an epilogue and interesting glossary of words. The cover is beautiful full-color, and makes a delightful gift for yourself and/or those you love. In the end, Mary Chilton discovers that "home" is not a place after all. Read ALMOST HOME to find out what it is. Get this book!

Kimn Swenson Gollnick ...

This is the second book by Wendy Lawton that I have read with my classroom in mind. It is a great read for both the young and the vast majority of us older adults. Almost Home is the story of May Chilton and her wondrous voyage to America on the Mayflower! Well written with just enough dialogue to make the characters come alive, the book is not overly "wordy" for children. The plot is great and the theme warm...this tale definitely keeps the audience captive. As with many other books by Lawton, this too has a delightful moral. The greatest part of this well researched book is that it is biographical and thus opens a dialogue between adults and precocious children. Not only about the Mayflower and the founding of america but also family value, I recommend this book for both the night stand and also the classroom.
Way to go Wendy!